A Soldier's Gem
by Prime Jeremy
Summary: The war with King Sombra has been raging for three years now, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Countless lives have been lost in the war, Private Butterscotch is sent home due to injuries. Rarity is a mare with expensive taste working day and night in a sweatshop to help the cause. Both have hard lives, but when fate brings them together sparks fly. Rule63 Fluttershy.


**_I'll update this monthly, please give feedback on how I can improve._**

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Butterscotch stood on the bow of the ship as it neared the Manehatten port, His left hoof was wrapped up in a sling. His left-wing was also bandaged and unusable at this time. Despite all of this he was dressed in his officer uniform, he stared at the port feeling depressed, he felt a hoof on his shoulder.

"Hey cheer up Corporal, we're finally home!"

"No this isn't my home", Butterscotch said, a sad tone in his voice as he said this.

"Well you're not having to fight either, so why not cheer up and take what you can get," with that the colt walked away leaving him alone again.

_I think I'd rather be out there, I at least had friends out there. I'd rather be with my friends. My squad._ Butterscotch thought as he watched the large crowd gathered around the port waiting for their wounded loved ones. He heard the cheers and the shouts of the crowd, it was mostly mares.

The ship pulled into port and Butterscotch and the soldiers all filed off the boat, he looked around the port at all the other wounded soldiers, a lot of them were missing limbs or had their faces covered by bandages, most likely mangled horribly. He felt very lucky to be in such good shape. Others were merely missing an eye. Butterscotch looked around in wonder at the city, he was surrounded by ponies but could definitely see the buildings towering above him though. The city was huge, at least twice the size of Canterlot. He felt intimidated by it all, he wasn't used to such a huge city, so many ponies in one place.

He swallowed in nervousness and began forcing his way through the crowd. "Um, excuse me, pardon me." He said this as he pushed his way passed everyone in his way. He soon realized he had gotten out of the crowd at the port, there were far fewer ponies in his way now, he was on the sidewalk now. "Well I'm halfway there now, all I have to do now is find the VA center, if I'm gonna be here I'll need a place to live and work."

He started turning to people walking down the street trying to get help. "Um, excuse me could you- oh sorry. Hello, could you please- um... oh my, this is going to be harder than I thought." Everyone simply kept walking, ignoring him entirely. He sighed and started walking again hoping he could find it himself. He found that the pace of Manehatten was faster than what he was used to though as he bumped into ponies clumsily.

"'Aye watch it bub! A mare yelled at him as she pushed by."

"Oh sorry, ma'am!"

"Watch where you're going!"

"I'm so sorry!" He stated again as he pushed his way through the crowd. Suddenly he felt like he bumped into someone again, and he hit them hard, he stumbled back wide-eyed, for a second he could have sworn he was going to fall over at this as he looked down to see a mare in a pair of gray overalls on the ground.

He gasped in surprise but before he could help her up another mare in a jumpsuit got in his face angrily, "'You idiot, you knocked my friend over!" She yelled right in his face.

Butterscotch took a step back at this, "I- I'm so sorry I-I-"

"It's alright Kayenne, lay off him." The mare on the ground said to her, she looked to Butterscotch lifting a hoof out to him, "do me a favor, help me up please". She said to him, a look of annoyed on her face. He wasted no time in grabbing said hoof and helping her up to her feet. Now that she was on her feet he could see her better, she was beautiful, albeit a bit rough looking. Her mane was messy and unbrushed, it did appear clean though. She had her mane in a headscarf, strands of hair poked out and fell across her face and shoulders. Dark bags were under her eyes and her overalls were stained but seemed to have been washed recently. Her eyes were a gradient blue they were bloodshot likely from a lack of sleep. With a little sprucing up, she'd be gorgeous. Butterscotch felt his face heat up at the sight of her.

She brushed herself off with a heavy sigh, "obviously, I'm not mad, mistakes happen. But do yourself a favor and watch where you're going okay?" She said to him, in a dull voice.

"Y-yes ma'am", Butterscotch said averting his, gaze. He could still feel the heat in his cheeks at the sight of her. The mare began walking away with her friend followed close behind her. He suddenly realized he could ask them for help, "wait!"

The mares turned around to look at him, Cayenne looked rather annoyed, giving him a glare as he talked but he kept on, "sorry to bother you, ladies, but could you tell me where the VA center is?" He forced a big hopeful smile as he said this.

"Over on Tenth street, pal ya can't miss it!" Cayenne called to him and continued walking, the other mare hesitantly followed behind her.

"Oh, um... okay thank you..." Butterscotch turns and walked off looking around trying to figure out where to even go, to begin with.

"Sir!" Butterscotch turned around to find mare he knocked over trot over to him, "I'll show you where it is sir." She smiled at him as she walked in front of him ready to go.

"Rarity we don't have time for this we're gonna get in trouble if we're late, forget him he can find it on his own!" Kayenne yelled at her in frustration.

"Ma'am thank you you're kind but your friend is right, I should be able to find it...eventually, I'd hate to be a bother. Just give me directions to it and I'll be fine."

She smiled at him, "you are not a bother, it's not far from here and I can tell just by the way you walk through these crowds you need all the help you can get. Tenth Street is only a few blocks from here it's no trouble."

Butterscotch decided not to argue anymore, he smiled gratefully to her "thank you so much, ma'am your too kind."

"I know, now come, there's no time to waste, she turned and trotted off, Butterscotch did his best to keep up with her, but with only three good legs and how he struggled to not bump into people within the crowd, he was struggling hard. For a moment he lost sight of her but she came back into sight, she grabbed him by his bandaged leg, he winced a little but it didn't hurt too badly. "Come on darling we need to pick up the pace a little, no offense I can tell you're not from around here." With that she began trotting rather quickly for him Butterscotch was barely able to keep from falling over. "I'm Rarity by the way, in case you didn't get the memo from my friend back there, she said to him casually."

"Nice to meet you Miss Rarity! I'm Butterscotch!" He said as he stumbled and nearly fell with her going as fast as she was. "Um, I hate to be picky but could we slow down? You're going a little fast for me!"

"Rarity looked to the ground uncertain a moment but nodded, slowing down a little for him. "Of course Butterscotch, forgive me for being so pushy. I'm just so used to being so fast-paced around here. You do realize you won't survive here if you can't adapt to a faster pace."

Butterscotch cast his eyes down nodding nervously, "yeah... yeah I know."

They came to the cross-walk and she stopped, Butterscotch stopped as well making sure not to knock her over again. "So, Butterscotch what's your rank in our military darling, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm a private ma'am." He replied, blushing at her calling him darling.

She smiled at him a moment before looking back at the cross-walk. "I can tell."

Butterscotch turned away in embarrassment. The cross-walk read go and they began walking across the street, they walked a while down the sidewalk before Rarity stopped them both and raised a hoof. "Behold, the VA center sir, she stated dramatically, I bid you adieu sir."

"Thank you so Much Miss Rarity, I doubt I'd have found it without you." He said pulling her into a hug, he quickly pulled away after a moment, "oh, I-I'm so sorry, I got a little too excited there." He said with a sheepish smile on his face, he noticed her face was as red as his felt.

"oh... it's alright, I'm a hugger at heart myself, and for the record; I doubt it as well darling, that's why I decided to help", she said with an amused smile, she gave a wink before turning to leave and took a step before stopping, "Butterscotch?"

"Yes, Miss Rarity?"

"It was a pleasure bumping into you and making your acquaintance." With that, she raced off. Butterscotch watched her go but she was quickly out of sight, merging into the crowd, He felt like he was on cloud nine, he was already missing her and he just met her. Turning to the VA center he gave a heavy sigh and walked through the doors.

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_**I'm looking for a beta reader, until then I'll do my best to catch any mistakes I find in it. Bye.**_


End file.
